About Me

Saturday, July 12, 2008

Ruth Buzzi - 'Gladys Ormphby'

Ruth Buzzi is a comedic actress who has been in many movies and tv shows since the early 1960s.

Ms. Buzzi is perhaps best-remembered as the spinster 'Gladys Ormphby' (photo below) on the comedy-sketch tv show, "Laugh-In". She'd wear a long dress and her hair in a bun covered by a visible hairnet. In those sketches, Arte Johnson would play the 'dirty old man' character 'Tyrone'. A typical exchange would have her sitting on a park bench, and along would come Johnson who'd sit down next to her. He'd ask, "Do you believe in the hereafter?" She'd reply, "Of course I do!". Then he'd say, "Well then, you know what I'm here after!" and she'd proceed to bash him with her purse.In 1982 I sent Ms. Buzzi this photo and she returned it within two weeks. I was hoping she'd also send a photo of herself as 'Gladys Ormphby' but no such luck.

I wasn't able to find a video from "Laugh-In", but here is a video of Ruth (as 'Gladys') 'roasting' George Burns on a Dean Martin show.

I really like the Ruth Buzzi photo from 1982. She has aged very well! I'm doing an art project about comedians, and I'm looking for a photo of Ms. Buzzi to get me started. Can I use your photo as a model for a drawing of Ms. Buzzi (or a subject based on Ruth Buzzi)? I'm going to get back to my research, but I wanted to congratulate you on your website. Very cool! Peace.